Archive for the ‘FDNY’ tag

On September 11, 2012 I had the honor of sharing the day with a family who lost a loved one in the line of duty during the terrorist attacks 11 years ago.The emotional experience was spent with a member of the New York City Fire Department who lost his father on that fateful day.

Yesterday morning, we went to the firehouse his father worked in where uniformed members provided breakfast and held an intimate ceremony for the family.Between moments of silence, I observed pictures and plaques on the walls of all the fallen members of the firehouse.It was inspiring to meet the men who worked with his father and spent seven months after the attacks looking to recover the remains of all 343 FDNY members who were killed.They shared stories that brought him back to life for a moment as the son pictured his father doing what he has now dedicated his life to.

After leaving the firehouse, we headed over to the World Trade Center to listen to the FDNY Pipe Band pay a tribute to all of those who were lost. Watching the sunset on the Freedom Tower while hearing “Amazing Grace” playing on the bag pipes is a moment I will remember for the rest of my life. The band, which consists only of Fire Department members, is celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year.

In the past 50 years, mainly due to 9/11, the band has played more line of duty funerals than all other pipe bands combined. The majority of members lived through the attacks and spent their days after 9/11 going from funeral to funeral to give their brothers a proper send off. While observing the pride and honor on their faces standing outside of the memorial last night, it was evident why the FDNY is coined “New York’s Bravest.”

If you haven’t had the chance to visit the 9/11 Memorial, I highly recommend you do so–you may even get your photos featured on their new Pinterest page. We will always appreciate the first responders for their commitment to protect and serve, but more importantly, we will never forget…

Now, 11 years later, the band lines up at the World Trade Center at dusk to honor the deceased. As amazing grace played on the bag pipes it was clear that to a fireman, the site is more than just a building, it’s a grave site and sacred ground. It holds the remains of all the men they lost that day, many of whom were never recovered.On September 11, 2012 I had the honor of sharing the day with a family who lost a loved one in the line of duty in the terrorist attacks 11 years ago. The emotional day was spent with a member of the New York City Fire Department who lost his father on that fateful day.

That morning, we went to the firehouse his father worked in, where uniformed members provided breakfast and held an intimate ceremony for the family. Between moments of silence, I observed pictures and plaques on the walls of all the fallen members of the firehouse. It was amazing to meet the men who worked with his father and spent seven months after the attacks looking to recover the remains of all 343 FDNY members who were killed. They shared stories that brought him back to life for a moment as the son pictured his father doing what he has now dedicated his life to.

Once we left the firehouse, we headed over to the World Trade Center to listen to the FDNY Pipe Band play a tribute to all of those who were lost. The band, consisting of all firemen, is celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year. In the past 50 years, mainly due to 9/11, they have played more line of duty funerals than all other pipe bands combined. The majority of members lived through the attacks and spent their days after 9/11 going from funeral to funeral to give their brothers a proper send off.

Now, 11 years later, the band lines up at the World Trade Center at dusk to honor the deceased. As amazing grace played on the bag pipes it was clear that to a fireman, the site is more than just a building, it’s a grave site and sacred ground. It holds the remains of all the men they lost that day, many of whom were never recovered.